Blog Tour: Love You So Madly by Tara Lain

Its finally here!! LOVE YOU SO MADLY,  the second book in the Love You So series!

Will Ben give up a lover who drives a Ferrari for one who rides the bus?

Love You So Madly

(Love You So Series, Bk 2)

By Tara Lain

Blurb:

Ben Shane has it all… and he’d like to give some of it back. While he loves his job heading a foundation that funds worthy causes around the world, his engagement to one of America’s wealthiest men leaves him feeling more like a trophy wife than a valued partner. The first warning that his relationship might not be designed to last is his irresistible lust for Dusty Kincaid, the golden-haired, bright-eyed handyman for his company.

Though Dusty is odd for a twenty-three-year-old—no liquor, no sugar, and he can’t even drive—the more Ben gets to know Dusty, the more he admires him. But is Ben going to give up a guy who drives a Ferrari for one who takes the bus? He must be mad. Dusty knows he and Ben can never work. 

After all, Ben’s perfect… and Dusty isn’t. But Ben might surprise everyone with proof that he’s only madly in love.

Available for purchase at at 

Kindle | Dreamspinner Press | iTunes | Nook

Excerpt

Blogtour: Shades by Jaime Reese

Title: Shades

Author: Jaime Reese

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 23, 2018
Cover Designer: Reese Dante

Life made him dangerous. Love made him lethal.

Killian Marks is a third-generation hitman. After hunting monsters for over twenty years, he lives under no illusions of happily ever afters and fairy tales. Until he meets a man who threatens to disarm him, by giving him hope for a future and showing him there’s more to life than just death.

For Nick, living in shadows is second nature. He’s all too familiar with the dark side of humanity and knows how delicate life can be. Each new day is a gift, even though it means doing it alone. But he’ll risk his survival for the one man who awakens something deep within and leaves him yearning for more.

Nick wants to solve the mystery behind the dark, brooding man, while Killian craves the life and light emanating from Nick. They soon discover they have more in common than either could have anticipated. With both their lives and hearts at stake, they must confront the ghost from Nick’s past intent on tying up a loose end. Only then will they truly find peace, and discover the shades of life in between.

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Love Bytes - “I haven’t had great luck with book choices lately, and I was starting to think that maybe it was just me and nothing was going to satisfy. But you can always, always rely on Jaime Reese to deliver a book that grips your heart so freakin’ tightly you think you might die of happiness. Even in this book, with the hitmen, the mobsters, the violence and the many deaths, the intensity of the love between the main characters is so unbelievably powerful it infuses every single scene with heartrending emotion.”

BookUnFunk - “Shades is dangerous, dramatic, and downright romantic.”

PageTurner - “Lock yourself in the bedroom and read this book...Now!”

ARC Review: The Alcove (Lavender Shores 7) by Rosalind Abel

Blurb:

Jasper Getty is living his dream as the owner of the charming bookshop, Lavender Pages. For seven years, he’s enjoyed the safety and freedom to be himself, selling books by day and curling up and getting lost in novels by night. But a dark page from the past comes back to haunt Jasper as his ex begins stalking him.

Russell Wallace hit reset on his life in Nashville and became a bodyguard after decades of living according to family expectations. But even years later, he doesn’t believe he deserves happiness. When Russell is asked to travel to the beautiful seaside town of Lavender Shores to protect a friend’s brother, he expects nothing more than a job and a paycheck.

But Lavender Shores reveals a world Russell never imagined, and his immediate attraction to the adorably geeky Jasper complicates an already difficult job. Jolted by the memory of a shared moment and paths that crossed years ago intensifies the sparks into a bonfire of passion and hope.

When danger comes pounding at the door, Jasper is in danger of losing his life… and his heart.

Dani's rating:





The seventh Lavender Shores book didn't disappoint; kudos to:

- Age gap (Russell is nearly two decades older than Jasper)

- Two imperfect, slightly damaged MCs who are perfect together

- Geeky ginger bookworm + burly former cop/bodyguard

- Sexual tension galore (Russell and Jasper have great chemistry!)

- SIZZLING, unforgettable one-off in a public bathhouse that is the beginning of a beautiful love story

- Lots of book talk, a shout-out to Lucy Lennox's Made Marian series, and a naughty drunken lingerie show

- A scene at a romance readers' convention that was pure fun

Blogtour: Rage To Live by Shirley Anne Edwards

Please welcome Shirley Anne Edwards with 

Rage To Live 

Finding The Strength #1

Blurb:

Can a young woman reveal her traumatic past to the woman who wants her to release the bubbling rage inside… her rage to live?

An act of violence tore Charlie’s existence, and her family, apart. In an effort to reclaim something like the life she enjoyed before, Charlie moves in with relatives in a different state. Charlie might be damaged, but she isn’t going down without a fight. With the help of her cousins, who attend the local college, she steels herself to repeat her final year of high school. On the university campus, she meets Arielle Forest, president of a popular sorority, daughter of the dean, and bisexual. Charlie is drawn to Arielle’s sunny outlook, but she can’t banish her doubts as romance blossoms. Does Arielle know what she’s getting into with Charlie and her unhealed wounds? Will she want to deal with the complications?

When Charlie’s past catches up to her, will she find the strength to keep fighting… or succumb to the call to escape all her pain for good?

Get the book:

It All Began with Nancy Drew.

Authors love to talk about their influences. My path to writing started with reading, which I imagine is the case for most writers. My love for books didn’t happen until I hit middle school when I discovered The Secret of the Old Clock, the first book in the Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene. I admired Nancy so much because she was smart, kind, outgoing and had a great group of friends who always had her back. Nancy is probably one of the most beloved characters in fiction, mainly in the teen fiction genre, or what some would say is young adult. Nancy Drew is the reason I wanted to be a writer. She also was one of the influences in writing Rage to Live, my fourth book published, and my first LGBTQ book, a lesbian young adult/ new adult romance.

You may find it strange that Nancy Drew is one of my muses for Rage to Live since Rage to Live begins as a tragedy because of what happens to my heroine, Charlie. The story at times is dark, but there is also triumph, which comes in the form of Arielle, a young woman who helps Charlie recover and heal from a horrible trauma. But Arielle isn’t the only character who helps Charlie. There is a small group of friends who lend comfort and support for Charlie, much like Nancy’s group who helped her solved mysteries. Nancy has her “besties”- her cousin Bess and best friend George, along with her boyfriend Ned to turn to for insight. The same goes for Charlie, who has her cousins, including some new friends she makes at her new high school she attends her senior year. This small knit group helps Charlie find some things she has lost, exactly like Nancy, who always saves the day in some form or another.

Blogtour: War Paint by Sarah Black

Please say hello to Sarah Black and 

War Paint 

a States Of Love novel 

Thanks for hosting me to celebrate the release of War Paint from Dreamspinner May 25. This story is part of the States of Love series from Dreamspinner, and is set in Georgia- Decatur, just outside Atlanta. That’s where the big VA hospital is, as well as the CDC. Like a lot of cities, though, the metro Atlanta area is mostly moving into neighborhoods. Cities are just too big to comprehend. Neighborhoods everyone gets.

I’ve been thinking about the nature of conflict in fiction, because it seems we keep up-ing the stakes, with more violence, more danger, more action and lots more guns. This is all conflict that is external to the characters, and the most they get out of going through whatever they are going through is to survive it and end up stronger- sort of a, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, sort of vibe. But I had the experience of watching several Japanese shows and noticed something about the way they presented conflict: the characters mostly had a conflict of their own making, and it came out of something they were feeling, like a yearning or a loneliness. They had to work through the reason and settle that before they could settle the conflict. It was a gentle sort of story-telling, but seemed much more real than much fictional conflict I’ve seen.

When I go off the rails, it is usually something I’ve done to myself. I’ve let something go, or there has been a misunderstanding I let go on too long, or I’ve procrastinated until disaster was looming. Most disasters that have occurred in my life, I’ve been complicit in to some degree. It’s not a matter of assigning blame, but of just acknowledging being human, and not perfect. I love the sort of stories that come out of these internal conflicts. When a person who is not perfect meets another, who is not perfect in another way. When you meet someone else, and can see the world through their perspective, that can change everything- both inside yourself, and out in the larger world.  

These characters I wrote, Ben and Eli, they were both spending way too much time in their own heads, circling something they couldn’t climb over or find a way around. Only when they could look at the deal through another’s eyes could they find their own solutions. Thanks for reading my stories over the years.

About the book:

Mural artist Ben has come from Tel Aviv to Atlanta to work on a commission. A successful artist, he’s still lonely and isolated after his family’s rejection. Ben is charmed and surprised when local soldier Eli mistakes him for homeless, and brings him a cup of coffee and a biscuit. This gesture opens the door. Eli is lost, trying to make sense of a future without the Army after a combat injury ends his career.

Art gives them a new language and a path forward. But lost men can reach out, desperate to hang on to anyone close. Is what they find together real, and the kind of love that will last?

Get the book:

About the author:

ARC Review: Nasu by Jet Lupin

Blurb:

Dinner, drinks, and dancing sounds like a fun night out, but not to Phil. His ideal way to spend a Friday evening is on the couch with his dog and some take out. When he finds himself away from home on his first night out in months, he gets more than he bargained for in the attention of a handsome stranger. He doesn’t usually entertain these kinds of pickups, but when he winds up saying yes instead of his usual no, he ends up with more than the guy’s phone number.

Breaking a long hiatus with a night on the town was what Shige thought he needed, but he wound up with so much more. He’s attracted to the one guy in the club who looked like he doesn’t want to be there, he can’t leave him alone. He wants more from their encounter than what he usually gets. But will fate, and his dangerous secret, let someone like him, have what even he won’t admit he craves?

My rating:





I was approached by the author about a review for this book. The blurb doesn't really tell you a whole lot about who (and what) Shige is, but I was intrigued so I said yes.

I'm glad I did. This was an interesting and enthralling read, despite the multitude of grammatical and spelling issues that a good editor or proofreader should have found.

Phil, a nurse, is in dire need of some time off. He basically works, comes home to take care of his dog Hugo, eats, sleeps, and goes back to work. His shift is the graveyard one, so he's awake at night and asleep during the day, which doesn't really make for much of a social life. But now he's got some vacation coming, and his good friend decides they both need a night out on the town.

While at a club, Phil meets Shige, a handsome stranger. Attraction is instantaneous and mutual, and they spend a night together.

Then weird things happen.

Blogtour: Shadowlands by Charlie David

Please say hello to Charlie David and 

Shadowlands 

Blurb:

Shadowlands is a collection of short stories exploring the heartfelt, and sometimes heartbreaking passion and pain of gay sexuality. Ancient myths are re-imagined with an exciting queer twist masterfully depicting the charged, fragile relationships of urban life today.

Story genres in this collection include romance, science fiction, fantasy/paranormal, horror, and poetry.

Get the book:

  

Hi all!  I’m Charlie David and I’m happy to stop by here at My Fiction Nook.  I’m excited to share that my book Shadowlands will be released as a TV miniseries on Sunday, May 27th!

Whether you like to read a book and then watch a show or the other way round, I’d like to invite you into my world and explore Shadowlands.

We’re at an exciting time when it’s still rare for a book in the M/M genre to be made into a film or TV series.  While Shadowlands isn’t traditional romance it does explore love in three thematically connected stories - a couple renegotiating a relationship, a narcissist grasping to comprehend love, and star-crossed lovers mourning its loss.  

I had the pleasure to work with a really talented cast and crew and so today I’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Sean C. Dwyer, one of the stars of the ‘Narcissus’ episode of the Shadowlands TV miniseries.

The Shadowlands TV show is comprised of three distinct stories exploring love.  In the Narcissus episode of the Shadowlands TV show, Sean C. Dwyer plays the role of a plastic surgeon in late 1920s Berlin.  

Narcissus is the darkest episode in the Shadowlands miniseries.  It’s an examination of what may happen when our pursuit of perfection goes too far.

There are story connections between the three episodes of Shadowlands.  You can read about them here.

Charlie David: Tell us about the Narcissus story in Shadowlands.  What were the main challenges and fears you had in your role?

Sean C. Dwyer:  In the first episode of Shadowlands, 'Narcissus', my character is self-obsessed, perfection-obsessed and pursuit-obsessed; a constant search for the ideal in himself, his creation and his work.

My main challenges were creating a realistic character who is already nearly at the peak of his insanity; we see him for one evening, the last evening of his life, and everything that he has been and has become must be present in his current being. I wouldn't say I had any particular fears- I was far too excited, stimulated and jonesing!

Charlie David: How much of yourself goes into a character when it's as unhinged as your role of Alex in 'Narcissus'?

Sean C. Dwyer: Certainly a lot; as an actor - you yourself are the clay, the canvas and even the array of tools used to create the character. Even any kind of influences or inspirations used to develop the character are filtered through your own perspective.

At the same time, the interactions with other characters, the thoughts of the director... and then a lot of the technical aspects in production do a lot to create the character, the editing, the sound... all determine how the audience receives the character and that, ultimately, is what the character will be!

Charlie David: How much were you able to relate your own experiences to create your character?  And how much did you have to research or imagine?

Sean C. Dwyer: This character is particularly insane, particularly driven and particularly fatal; he is ready to draw blood, ready to draw his own blood in his pursuit... I actually do have a lot of all of those things in me on some level; I have drawn my own blood in strange pursuits; like a wart I had for a good long while that just got too irritating and I literally cut it out of me... losing blood made me feel like "why are we putting things in ourselves to get high when we could take things out of ourselves..."

I didn't really follow that thought up with consistent practice, ha. I also feel pretty crazy sometimes, and I'm not the only one, and I drive forward with my goals and pursuits rather relentlessly... at the same time, there was most definitely a need to imagine what cutting one's self would literally be like, where someone's mental would fully have to go to get there... would he be happy, sad, angry doing it.... the most important connection ultimately, was that there is a lot going in our minds and it comes out sometimes smooth in precise speech and action, and sometimes very rough.

Charlie David: The stories in the Shadowlands TV show were inspired by the Shadowlands book which was inspired by Greek mythology.  What was your experience in creating a remix of these ancient classical tales? 

Sean C. Dwyer: I am familiar with the old stories, and I looked at narcissus specifically for this project, and strangely enough I had a few projects with this character and concept going on in the last little while, so research overlapped and even performances fed each other.

And then the Berlin 1920s context gave a lot of space for exploration of course. Acting is all about building up a big pile of knowledge and experience and then throwing it carelessly up into the air, hoping that some of it sticks, but ultimately striding through the aftermath like you own the place.

Charlie David: What aspects of the Shadowlands TV show are you excited for an audience to experience or discover?

ARC Review: Detour by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore

From the blurb:

Ethan Domani had planned the perfect graduation trip before tragedy put his life on hold. Smothered by survivor’s guilt and his close-knit family, he makes a break for the open road. He doesn't know what he's looking for, but he's got the whole summer to figure out who he misses more: his boyfriend, or the person he thought he was. It’s just him and his memories . . . until he almost runs over a hitchhiker. 

Nick Hamilton made some mistakes after his younger brother died. His violent ex-boyfriend was the most dangerous, and the one that got him shipped off to Camp Cornerstone’s pray-the-gay-away boot camp. His eighteenth birthday brings escape, and a close call with an idiot in a station wagon. Stranger danger aside, Nick’s homeless, broke, and alone. A ride with Ethan is the best option he’s got. 

The creepy corners of roadside America have nothing on the darkness haunting Ethan and Nick. Every interstate brings them closer to uncharted emotional territory. When Nick’s past shows up in their rearview mirror, the detour might take them off the map altogether.

Heather's rating:





I'm really torn about Detour from Reesa Herberth and new-to-me author Michelle Moore. On one hand, I see why so many of my friends rated it 5-stars, but on the other hand, I just didn't emotionally connect the way I thought I would.

I'm not a huge YA/NA reader (these guys are 18, so just on the cusp of NA), but I like a meet-cute story and I figured a road-trip would be a great setting for one. I really had no idea how incredibly angsty this book was going to be. I mean... real trauma here, folks.

For some reason, it was hard for me to focus on this story. It took me ages to read, and I had no issues putting it down. I enjoyed it when I read it, but I wasn't glued to my Kindle. I wish I felt that spark of empathy instead of sympathy and really connected to the characters more.

Blogtour: The Curse by Kethric Wilcox

THE CURSE

Kethric Wilcox has a new MM paranormal vampire book out!

Cain Slays Abel!


In this day and age, that's not an earth-shattering headline. We want headlines that scream of life-altering events.


Terrorists Nuke Peace Conference!


Wow! What a gripping headline. This is something to change the world. Oh, wait! The world did transform. This ran as the lead story a few hours before the beginning of The Upheaval. The current world birthed in nuclear fire and electromagnetic disruption. Gone are the nations I grew up with. My life altered again.


Cain Slays Abel!


The truth behind such a classic story is far more complicated than anyone could imagine.
The brothers’ tale is a life-altering event, at least for me. Twice a report of murder transformed my life in an unpredictable way. I am Richard St. Martin, Master of Darkness. Before my story can be told, you need to learn the story of the first dark monster, Cain. My stepchildren call him Father Cain because he was the first. To find the actuality behind the myth, I recruited two talented mortals - Dr. Jeremiah Banks, Archaeologist, and Professor Juan Di Vargas, Theologian and Religious Scholar. Together they found the secret origin of the vampires:


The Curse!




Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books2Read | QueeRomance Ink | Goodreads

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Giveaway

One lucky winner will get a $10 Amazon gift card. 

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Excerpt

JEREMIAH SURVEYED his clothing choices for the conference and grimaced. He hated suits, but Dr. Sinclair, the dean of his department, and Mrs. Pike, the dean's secretary and sort of a second mother, both insisted he dress in professional academic attire.


"You're representing the University of Arizona and the Republic of Texas, Dr. Banks. Think of the university's reputation. Don’t appear like you are fresh off the boat following months in the field," Jeremiah recalled Dr. Sinclair saying as he handed him his clearance to travel. During a visit to her house, Mrs. Pike said similar things before she called her late husband's tailor and made an appointment to fit Jeremiah for new suits. Suits made Jeremiah uncomfortable, he preferred sturdy field clothing, but Dr. Sinclair held firm, no wild field archaeologist attire. Resigned to his fate, Jeremiah gave into almost all the dean's requirements, but refused when the request came to cutting his long copper locks. Jeremiah brushed through his hair, twisted, and slid the length into a sapphire-encrusted leather tube to hold everything in check.


The Emir, who oversaw his dig on behalf of the caliph's government, gave him the hair binder as a gift. The man developed a fascination with Jeremiah's copper hair and its silky texture. With his hair under control, Jeremiah dressed to impress in a navy-blue suit with a subtle white pinstripe. Sapphire cufflinks and tie tack finished the ensemble. The cufflinks came as a second present from the emir after a night of admiring Jeremiah's body in all its naked glory. The combination of Jeremiah's pale skin and fiery chest hair and pubic region, plus the impressive prick and balls in their natural state, fascinated the noble. The emir never touched him or asked for contact; the man wanted to check if the red hair remained the same color all the way down.


All three pieces of jewelry helped to highlight his bright blue eyes. Jeremiah checked himself in the mirror before picking up his notes and slides for his lecture and heading down to breakfast. During the evening, the staff worked their magic, transforming the ballroom from reception hall into a dining room. A waiter led Jeremiah to his assigned table and seat right next to Prof. O'Grady. The rest of the table filled with other scholars from universities in the Republic of Texas. He found Dr. Lanister's vacant seat next to his and opposite Prof. O'Grady. "Prof. O'Grady, I want to apologize for the rude comments last night at the reception."


"No, Dr. Banks, if anyone got out of line last night, I did, and should be doing the apologizing. Thank you for correcting my attitude towards Dr. Lanister. I spoke way out of line. I wanted to apologize to him in person, but the hotel informed me Dr. Lanister checked out late last night claiming illness and returned home."


"I'm sorry he departed. He stopped by my room last night reeking of alcohol, so I encouraged him to retire for the evening. I'm sorry to learn he caught something," came Jeremiah's reply as a waiter stopped and filled his coffee cup. "I wonder, are you familiar with Prof. Juan Di Vargas from the University of Madrid?"

Book Review: The Werewolf's Fae Mate by Liv Rider

Blurb:

He never expected his mate to be fae. Now he has to choose between his heart and his pack.

When mixed-blood werewolf Mahon comes across powerful fae magic in a nightclub, dealing with the threat is a chance to prove to his new pack where his loyalties lie. But the threat turns out to be a gorgeous, wide-eyed college student who’s never heard of the supernatural world. After they're attacked by bloodsucking vampire bats, he takes Oscar and his small, angry cat home for their own protection. He’ll definitely tell his pack about Oscar...later.

Abandoned as an infant, Oscar’s always wondered where he came from—he just never expected the answer to include pointy ears, magical powers, and evil forces trying to kill him. Oscar knows he shouldn’t rely on Mahon for help, but it’s hard to resist when a six-foot-six werewolf literally sweeps you off your feet. The key to Oscar’s past might lie with the local fae court—where werewolves aren’t welcome.

Oscar and Mahon are mates—but how can they be together when it might cost them both everything?

The Werewolf’s Fae Mate is an m/m paranormal werewolf/fae romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers.

Dani's rating:





This is a fun little story, not overly sexed up, but still plenty of Claiming and Mating and MINE MINE MINE.

When Mahon tracks down Oscar, a high faerie, the poor guy has no idea that he is one. He's never heard of magic or shifters or, heaven forbid, faeries. But Oscar is nothing if not resilient.

Spotlight: I Am Magical by Briana Lawrence

Please welcome Briana Lawrence with 

I Am Magical

magnifiqueNOIR #1

Blurb:

There is a city. It is like most other cities. Buildings. People. Monsters who can destroy sidewalks by vomiting acid onto the ground, and an elite group of black, queer, magical girls who work to put those monsters in their place. See? Just like most other cities. Bree Danvers would have compared it to a video game, maybe a cartoon or comic book, except black girls are rarely the heroines of the story.

But there her heroine stood, plus sized and wonderful, rocking a dazzling amount of purple and defeating monsters with galactic sparkles. Galactic Purple, that was her name, and soon, Bree was joining her on a magical adventure full of transformations and after school battles to defend a city like most other cities. And soon, others would join them, and each one would be magical in their own way... give or take a few bumps on the acid covered ground.

According to Cosmic Green, the pixelated YouTube sensation (at least in her own mind),  “magnifiqueNOIR” is a story about a group of black, queer, magical girls on a quest to protect their city from dastardly foes who have the audacity to interrupt her sacred midnight launches. Of course, Galactic Purple, the leader of the gang, would say that there’s more to them than that. Always full of poise, she knows that they are tasked with defending the city, picking up where the previous generation of magical girls left off. Radical Rainbow, always ready for a challenge, would agree with both of them, while the mysterious Prism Pink smiles at their antics.

This book series is a bit of a love letter to the likes of “Sailor Moon” with a healthy dose of “Representation Matters.” It’s really important to show black girls in a positive light, which is exactly what I set out to do. All the girls are in college, which is when I personally came out, so I wanted to set the story during the time where I really started to explore who I was as a queer, black woman. I’m still discovering things about myself today, but for me, college was when things really started to make sense.

Each girl represents a different part of the queer spectrum, to the point that some of their outfits rock the colors. Radical Rainbow and Prism Pink are probably the most obvious ones, and honestly, Radical Rainbow is the reason why the story got so big. I didn’t plan on there being a huge plot, but she... kinda fought with me (as characters do sometimes). Her arc in the first book is pretty significant, and that, in turn, helped me flesh out the development of the other girls. Because of her, I came up with the idea of the girls facing monsters that reflect some real life issues: sexual harassment, racism, sexism, things like that. And the girls, well, they get to punch those things in the face, which is pretty awesome. This will be a theme throughout the series, and along the way, you’ll get to know more about the girls along with the people who are important to them.

Excerpt:

“Hey baby girl.”

All she had wanted was to have an uneventful, dry walk home, but the universe decided that she had to deal with some unwanted company. Not just any ol’ unwanted company, oh no, it had to be a random man on a self-appointed side quest where he mistook stalking a young woman as a charming character trait. If Bree had to guess, she’d say that the man was old enough to be her father – whoever or wherever he was. This fully grown man had no business making eye contact with an eighteen year old girl’s chest. Where was her mother now to condemn this man to hell? Then again, her mother would potentially blame this on her state of dress, as if she could stop the weather from forcing her into a wet T-shirt contest. “I’m not a toddler, sir.”

“You know that ain’t what I meant,” he said as he stepped closer. “What’s your name?”

“Unnamed protagonist,” Bree muttered, hoping her dry humor would make him lose interest.

Unfortunately, it made him persist. “That ain’t a name,” he laughed.

“I don’t have a name. My parents didn’t bother entering one into the select screen.”

The man’s smile immediately faded, the amused look draining from his face. “I’m just tryin’ to be nice, you don’t have to be such a-”

“Bitch?”

The man snorted this time. “Y’all black girls are too much, sometimes. Y’all always gotta have an attitude.”

“I guess so,” then Bree turned and walked off.

“I ain’t done with you yet!”

Bree rolled her eyes and kept walking. What a perfect way to end the evening. Not that she thought she’d gotten away from the creeps who referred to her as their baby. She knew that was a worldwide phenomenon, but did she have to face it now?

“I said I ain’t done with you!”

Bree had become accustomed to being labeled as unfriendly or, in this case, a bitch, but it never went any further than that. Hearing the sound of someone running after her caught her completely off guard. She felt the man grab her and force her to turn and face him, his eyes wild and chapped lips curled in pure malice toward her. In seconds he had her on the ground, the back of her head crashing into a puddle on the sidewalk with a wet thud.

“W-what the hell are you doing?! Get off of me!” Maybe, if she screamed loud enough, someone would hear her. There had been people outside before, someone had to come to her aid.

Right?

ARC Review: Bad To The Bone by Nicki Bennett

Blurb:

Alex can’t think of himself as anything but a failure. In high school, he was on the fast track to a career in pro football when he forged an unlikely friendship with a half-Comanche boy from the wrong part of town, Ricky Lee Jennings. Their shared love of books could have grown into more—but a homophobic teammate attacked Ricky Lee, and Alex wouldn’t risk his scholarship to defend him. 

Ricky Lee was kicked out of school, and Alex never heard from him again. Now Alex’s glory days are nothing but a memory. An injury ended his football aspirations, his marriage fell apart, and his dreams of making a difference as an environmental lobbyist are as dead as his fantasies of sports stardom. But all that could change in one magical night, when Ricky Lee shows up at their high-school reunion.

My rating:





This was for the most part a sweet second-chance romance between two men who were friends in high school and could have been more if it weren't for small town bigots and needing that scholarship.

Back in high school, Alex was going to be a big shot football player at college until an injury put an end to that dream. But that injury didn't happen until he had already lost his heart to Ricky Lee, a boy his age from the wrong side of the tracks, who shared his love of books.

So Ricky Lee left town, and Alex stayed. He's now working at his hardware store he co-owns with his sister, his marriage has failed, and his life hasn't turned out at all how he imagined it would.

And then Ricky Lee comes back into town because of their high school reunion and makes it very clear from the start that he's never forgotten Alex. Ricky Lee now lives in Portland and is some kind of technology genius. He wants Alex and he starts his pursuit from the time he arrives back in town.

ARC Review: A Full Plate by Kim Fielding

Blurb:

Opposites come together for a spicy surprise.

Bradford “Tully” Tolliver has everything—money, a great car, a beautiful condo, and a promising career as one of Portland’s hottest young lawyers. Sure, he puts in long hours and has no social life to speak of, but who needs romance when corporations pay top dollar for his expertise? He hesitates when a colleague asks if her cousin can live with him, but the arrangement will last less than a year, and then the cousin—Sage Filling—will return to his tiny hometown.

But Sage is handsome and intriguing, and his cooking makes Tully swoon. Sage has obligations back home, though, and Tully has offers he might not refuse from a persistent—and very wealthy—ex. Since Tully and Sage each have a full plate, can they make room for a side of love?

My rating:




This was utterly adorable. And it's apparently true - the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

At least, in this case, that old adage works - Sage seduces Tully with his cooking skills.

I'm getting ahead of myself though...

Bradford Tolliver aka Tully is a hot shot young lawyer, living in a fancy condo, driving a fancy car - and living an empty life. When his colleague asks for a favor for her cousin to live with Tully for a few months, less than a year, Tully reluctantly agrees.

Sage Filling (what the heck, Kim Fielding?) took a job as a short order cook for reasons, but his dream is cooking on a much higher culinary scale. He loves trying out new recipes, and Tully is only too willing to be the guinea pig. He doesn't mind the hot kissing either. He doesn't mind spending a bit of his cash on some fancy cookware either if that keeps Sage cooking up culinary delights.